You will go far
by brightmoor
Summary: Dômeki is worried about Watanuki, who continues to grant wishes despite the fact that they physically harm him. 104/xxxHOLiC•Rou.
1. irasshaimase

"Be still a moment. I hear Maru and Moro making a racket at the door." Watanuki moved around on the couch and took a drag of his pipe. Dōmeki sat cross-legged and mute on the floor.

"A customer, Watanuki!" Maru said.

"A customer, Watanuki!" Moro said.

They practically dragged the customer—a woman—through the sliding door.

"Good evening," said Watanuki calmly.

"I—I'm sorry to barge in like this, but... I was out for a walk, and the next thing I knew I found myself here."

"Not at all. In fact, that you've come here means there is a wish you'd like to see granted."

"Watanuki," said Dōmeki. "Shouldn't you rest for a while? After last time..."

"I'll be fine, Dōmeki. You don't have to worry about me."

"How do you mean, a wish?" the woman asked. "There's nothing I'd wish for."

"Kadō Arida-san."

"Excuse me?"

"That's your name, isn't it?"

"It is, but—"

"But? I told you, it is not by accident that you've come here, Arida-san." Watanuki exhaled, the smoke looking like lace. "You cannot think of even one thing you'd wish for? Not one thing in the whole world?"

"There is something, but... it's silly. I wouldn't bother you with it, if you can really grant actual wishes." Arida waved her hand as if to dismiss the thought. Dōmeki frowned.

"Even so, I'd like to hear it," Watanuki said.

"There is someone I'd like to know the whereabouts of."

"Yes, I can help you... but I should warn you that you may not like the results."

"I want to know, no matter the cost," said Arida.

"No matter the cost? You should be careful how you throw that phrase around."

"I'm sorry, I..." Arida trailed off.

"Very well," said Watanuki, standing up. "Maru, Moro, take Dōmeki to the storeroom and help him find that item. Teach him how to use it as well."

Maru and Moro high-fived. "Yes sir!" they cried, taking Dōmeki by the hands and leading him.

"Arida-san, I should also warn you that I require compensation for any wish I grant."

"Payment? I can pay you. That won't be a problem."

"The value of the payment must be equal to that of the wish. Anyone can print money. Tell me, Arida-san, are you fond of that necklace?"

Arida's hand went immediately to her throat. "This necklace...? I'm afraid I can't give this away for anything."

"Then _I'm_ afraid your wish cannot be granted. That necklace of yours has the exactly same value as knowing where that person is."

Arida stood in silence for a few moments.

"If you cannot decide, come back tomorrow."

"No. You can have it." She snapped the chain rather than unclasping it, and threw it at him. It landed on the ground at his feet. He picked it up.

"Those three should be back by now," he said. The door slid open.

Dōmeki entered the room holding a compass. It was unremarkable; for all intents and purposes, a normal compass. Moro and Maru smiled and danced around him.

"Very well. The payment has been made, so please help Arida-san's wish be granted."

There was silence.

"You, Dōmeki."

"I know."

"Those two did tell you what to do, right?"

The hyper girls stopped dancing. Moro blinked. "Of course we did, Watanuki!"

"Of course we did, Watanuki! But Dōmeki-kun is worried about you! Oopsie."

Moro gasped and clapped her hand over Maru's mouth. "You weren't supposed to tell him, silly!"

"I'm sorry, Dōmeki-kun!"

Arida fake-coughed to try and refocus the conversation.

"What's this about you being worried about me, Dōmeki?"

"I don't want you to get hurt again."

"I told you, I'll be fine. Don't keep Arida-san waiting any longer."

Dōmeki sighed. "Alright."


	2. two sides of a coin

"So what does that compass do, anyway?" asked Arida. Dōmeki remained silent, focusing on the gadget he held. Those two had explained it well enough, but he was still fairly unsure of just what it was supposed to do. It was apparently supposed to point to the location of the person one most wanted to see, so that would explain why it was pointing to the shop.

"You should hold it," he said.

"Why's that?" replied Arida.

"If I hold it, it won't work correctly."

"Oh, right." Arida took the compass out of Dōmeki's hand. As soon as she had touched it, the needle spun wildly; however, it soon calmed down and pointed... North.

"It's just a normal compass, isn't it? What a joke. I'm so stupid."

"No, you're holding it backwards."

"What?"

"The N should face away from you."

"Oh." Arida turned the compass the other way, but it still pointed to herself. "Is it supposed to do that?" she asked.

"With him, you never know."

Every few minutes as they walked, the needle would spin. It always ended up pointing back at Arida, no matter which direction they went.

"Who are we looking for, again?" Dōmeki asked, confused by the compass.

"My... ex-fiancé," Arida said. "He went missing exactly one year ago. We were in love, but I didn't really know much about him."

"Hmm."

"It was an arranged marriage. Neither of us really liked each other at first, but then we became friends. We were supposed to get married on the day after he disappeared. That's why I didn't want to give your boss that necklace. Because Yotsuka gave it to me."

The needle spun once more, and it didn't stop on Arida. "I wonder what's up with it_ now_?" she asked.

"You must have said something it liked."

"It's just a compass, Shizuka-san."

"With him, it's never just a compass."


	3. missing frame

"I swear we've been walking for hours, Shizuka-san. Maybe we should try again tomorrow?" Arida sighed. Her hands were becoming tired of holding the compass and she wanted to go home. Even if she had to go back to that strange shop and that strange man, she swore would find Yotsuka. A year was much too long.

"I have a feeling we're almost there. Recognize this place?"

Arida looked around to find herself in her own front yard. She was confused, but Dōmeki had an idea of why.

"What's the meaning of this, Shizuka-san?"

"For you to remember."

. . .

It was June. Arida stood on the balcony waving down to her mother.

"Behave, okay, you two?"

"_Mom!_" Arida cried, turning pink.

"I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you too, Mom." Arida smiled and waved once more, then turned and went inside. "I can't believe she got us a house! And we're not even married yet."

"We will be, by this time tomorrow."

"I know, I know. But still, a _house!_ Isn't Mom so nice?"

"Your whole family is so kind to me," Yotsuka said, "And that's why I can't marry you."

Not a word was spoken by either of them until Arida finally broke the silence.

"What?"

"You're too kind, Arida-chan. Much too kind. I don't deserve someone like you."

Yotsuka unclasped his necklace and put it around Arida's neck. He kissed her on the cheek, then stepped out onto the balcony.

Arida realized a split second too late what he was doing.

"Yotsu. No."

"I'm sorry." Yotsuka hoisted himself onto the parapet.

"Yotsuka!"

"Thank you for being so kind to someone like me, Arida."

Yotsuka fell forward gracefully in stark contrast with the splattering noise he made when he hit the flagstones below. Arida dropped to her knees, clutching his necklace to her throat. She couldn't even cry out—her whole body felt numb.

. . .

"Kadō-san."

"I... found Yotsuka."

"Where?"

"He died."

Arida's voice was completely devoid of emotion. She spoke quietly and without inflection.

"Watanuki did warn you that you might not like the results."

"I... want to be alone. Please." Arida handed Dōmeki the compass, and he turned to leave. "Thank you, Shizuka-san, but please leave now."

Dōmeki walked.


	4. the things we share are precious

"He died. Yotsuka." Dōmeki had let himself into the shop—the girls had long since fallen asleep in what had been Yuuko's bedroom. Watanuki said nothing, instead taking a drag from his pipe as Dōmeki sat next to him on the floor of one of the tatami rooms. "She was emotionless when she said everything."

"She only appeared emotionless. There was a veritable typhoon of conflicting emotions within her mind when she told you what she'd seen."

Dōmeki sighed, stretching his legs out on the floor. "We should have a drink."

"Are you a man or a fish?" Watanuki asked. "I suppose you want snacks as well."

"Gyoza."

"With sake? You're strange."

. . .

"Did you notice anything strange about that compass, then?" Watanuki asked.

"It only pointed to her at first. It changed after she said his name."

"She had turned inward to escape the memory. That woman had effectively convinced herself that Yotsuka had actually disappeared, when in reality he had taken his own life."

"Trauma?"

"In layman's terms."

Dōmeki took a drink. "Why did it point back here when I held it, then?"

"That's—uh—it points to whomever you want to see most. It does more, but that's the gist of it."

"I didn't have any trouble getting home," Dōmeki said.

"That's good," replied Watanuki. "I'm sorry I had to send you, but..."

"It's fine. But it would be better if you made more gyoza."

"Are you nothing but a stomach?"

Dōmeki stood and walked into the hallway, pausing at the door to wait for Watanuki.

"I'll help. I'm not completely heartless."

"That's debatable." Dōmeki stopped in front of him and looked at him strangely. "What?"

"You're hurt again."

"I'm fine, Dōmeki."

"You're not. There's blood on the back of that kimono."

"I'm _fine._"

"I'll look at it after you finish the gyoza."


	5. mint

"I'm staying here tonight," Dōmeki said.

"Alright."

Watanuki lit his pipe again. Smoke drifted peacefully to the ceiling, and both enjoyed the quietness for a while.

"I'm going to bandage your back, you know."

"I know."

"That woman. She said that her fiancé killed himself because she was too kind. Maybe I'm drunk, but I'm beginning to understand what she meant."

"How's that."

"You help others, despite the cost for you."

"There's no cost. I don't mind—"

"There is a cost. Think about someone other than yourself."

"Dōmeki—"

"I'll be back with the first aid kit."

. . .

Watanuki lie on the futon in the center of the floor, prone and undressed to the waist, with an extra pillow under his chest and a blanket on his legs. He tweaked the arms of his glasses and thought while he waited for Dōmeki.

"What did he mean, think of someone other than myself, anyway," he muttered. The door slid open. He raised himself onto his elbows. "See, it's not that bad."

"You ruined that kimono," Dōmeki observed, trying to focus his eyes anywhere but on Watanuki. The kimono had brown splotches on it.

"It's not a great loss."

Dōmeki said nothing, getting peroxide and bandages from the first aid kit.

"Oh, no. I hate peroxide."

"Then stop granting wishes without thinking of the consequences to yourself."

Watanuki gritted his teeth as Dōmeki pressed the peroxide-soaked cloth onto his wounds. They weren't terribly deep, but there were a lot of them and it stung.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Watanuki?" Dōmeki asked quietly as the peroxide bubbled on Watanuki's back. "Yuuko would be disappointed."

"I'm... doing what I can," said Watanuki. He bit his tongue. "God, that stings."

Dōmeki began unrolling the bandages. "Lucky they only go halfway down. You should be fine in the morning if you sleep on your stomach."

"Dōmeki?"

"What are you going to complain about now?" said Dōmeki.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Dōmeki asked. He placed the bandages on Watanuki's back.

"For telling me not to do this, then taking care of me anyway."

Dōmeki smoothed the bandages down. "There'll be scabs. Don't pick at them," he said, repacking the first aid kit. As he rose to put it away again, Watanuki spoke.

"Dōmeki?" said Watanuki quietly.

"Don't say my name with that tone. What do you want now?"

"Sleep in here tonight."

Dōmeki looked down at Watanuki. He looked a little ridiculous, with his white skin and white bandages, but for some reason, Dōmeki couldn't refuse him.

"Okay."


	6. in the darkness, we know

"There's another futon in that closet," Watanuki said when Dōmeki had returned from the other room.

"Alright."

"I'd help, but..."

Nodding in understanding, Dōmeki laid out the futon to the left of Watanuki's, nearer the door. If Moro and Maru or Mokona came gallivanting in during the night, they would step on him rather than Watanuki. He switched off the light and laid down, facing away from Watanuki.

"Goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight."

. . .

"Are you still awake, Dōmeki?"

"No."

"Very funny." It was dark, but the moonlight shone palely through the room's small window. It glinted off Watanuki's glasses as he sat against the wall furthest from the window, smoking. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Didn't you just ask one?" Dōmeki said, sitting up groggily. He _had_ been asleep, until Watanuki had said his name.

"Did you and Yuuko-san talk a lot?" Watanuki said. It had been on his mind for a while, and Dōmeki was basically the only person whom he could ask.

"A few times. Remember the time the hydrangeas tried to kill you? Or when you fell out of that window because of Kunogi?"

"What did you talk about, then? You and Yuuko-san."

"You, mostly."

"Oh," Watanuki replied, exhaling. The moonlight shone through the smoke, highlighting both it and Watanuki's pale skin in the relative darkness of the room.

"She'd be proud of you," Dōmeki said.

A comfortable silence fell over the room; the only sound to be heard was that of their breathing (mostly Watanuki exhaling tobacco smoke.) Neither Dōmeki nor Watanuki found it awkward to be in the smallish, dark room together. It was shared between them wordlessly that neither would rather be anywhere else at that moment, even if they'd never admit it aloud.

"Speaking of Himawari-chan," Watanuki said, effectively killing the moment and changing the subject at the same time. "How is she?

"Fine. That bird of hers is fine as well."

"That's good."

"Your bandages came off," observed Dōmeki.

"I took them off while you were asleep. Sorry."

Dōmeki made an annoyed noise. "Put your clothes back on," he said.

"I'm wearing pants. Honestly, Dōmeki." Watanuki attempted to keep a straight face and failed miserably. He couldn't help but laugh in spite of himself. Dōmeki even smiled a little.

"Think you'll have any customers tomorrow?" he asked.

"I don't know. What will you do if there are? I can't simply turn someone away."

"I can't allow you to hurt yourself anymore," Dōmeki said, his smile gone.

"Who died and made you king of the universe?" snarked Watanuki. "Why are you so moody tonight, anyway?"

"...I'm going for a walk."

Dōmeki stood up and opened the door, leaving Watanuki alone in the room.

. . .

"Huh? Dōmeki, you aren't gonna leave him all by himself, are you?" Mokona asked, hopping out of Maru and Moro's room and into the hallway. Mokona followed Dōmeki to the door and waited for him to reply as he put his shoes on.

"Don't know," answered Dōmeki noncommittally.

"Well, Mokona's going with you! Going for a walk!" Mokona cried, hopping onto Dōmeki's shoulder as he stood up. "You can buy us something to drink, eh? We're drinking buddies~!"

"I'm going for a walk, manju, not to buy alcohol."

"Mokona's not a manju! Mokona's a Mokona!"


	7. paving the way

"So what did he say, anyway? Watanuki."

"It's not what he said."

"Then why is Dōmeki upset?" Mokona asked. Thinking, Dōmeki stopped walking.

"You would know, manju."

Mokona sighed exaggeratedly, bouncing on Dōmeki's shoulder. "I _told_ you, Mokona is a Mokona, not a manju! But I guess you're right. The way Yuuko talked about you two... Mokona understands!"

"You're more annoying than that guy," Dōmeki said, plugging his ear with his finger to block the noise of Mokona.

"You're going back, right?" Mokona asked, serious again. "He'll be lonely and sad if you don't go back. And when Watanuki is depressed, that's no fun."

"Yeah."

"You make him happy, you know? Watanuki likes you."

"I know."

Dōmeki walked silently around the block, thinking. Mokona appeared to have fallen asleep, if it was even possible for it to have done so. After having gone around the block three or four times, he decided it would probably be best to go back to the shop.

. . .

Watanuki stood just inside the gate—as close as he'd ever get to truly going outside. He sighed, looking down at his feet as Dōmeki walked through the gate with Mokona still asleep on his shoulder.

"Good evening," Watanuki said, detached.

"You'll catch cold, standing out here waiting for me," Dōmeki replied.

"Who says I was waiting for you, huh? Besides, you'd do the same for me," said Watanuki. He blushed without meaning to, suddenly feeling inexplicably embarrassed.

"Look! Watanuki's as red as a ripe tomato!" Mokona exclaimed. "Watomato!" Dōmeki stuck his fingers in his ears as Mokona and Watanuki made noise.

"You were never asleep, you stupid manju!"

"Mokona's a Mokona! Nobody gets it right!"

Dōmeki coughed loudly. "We'll _all_ catch colds if we don't go inside," he said.

"Mokona won't!" said Mokona, jumping onto the door handle and opening the door. All three walked down the hallway, or, in Mokona's case, hopped.

"Mokona-kun, go back to bed," said Watanuki, pausing with his hand on the door.

"Fine, fine."

"And don't wake those two up!"

"Alright already!"

Mokona hopped down the hallway. Watanuki and Dōmeki went into their room.

. . .

"About earlier," said Dōmeki.

"We're not talking about it," Watanuki said. "Not now. Maybe in the morning."

"...Okay."

The both lie on their futons, and Watanuki had his back to Dōmeki.

"Go to sleep, Dōmeki," he said.

"...Okay."


	8. asameshi

"You know, you talk in your sleep."

Watanuki nearly choked on his green tea. "Wh—what?" he spluttered. Of course he had known that he was a sleep-talker, because Yuuko-san and Haruka-san had made fun of him for it, but in their reports, he tended to say some fairly ridiculous things. Half of it was probably fabrication, but the half that was true frankly creeped him out—his subconscious mind was terrifying sometimes. "What was I talking about?"

"Me, mostly."

This time he really did choke, causing tea to come out his nose. Maru and Moro giggled at him.

"How's that?" he asked, wiping up the tea he'd spilled on the table himself. "I got it all over this yukata thanks to you, idiot."

"It's sort of flattering, really," Dōmeki said, crunching his food and completely ignoring Watanuki.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Excuse me, is anyone here? Um, I'd like to apologize for intruding on your breakfast, but my feet were moving by themselves, and..."

Dōmeki looked at Watanuki. Watanuki looked at the girls.

"Tell her... You know what, tell her we're closed today."

Moro nodded. Maru nodded. They held hands and skipped into the hallway, humming a made-up song. Watanuki could hear their conversation from the kitchen.

"I'm really sorry for intruding."

"Not at all!" said Moro.

"People who have wishes come here!" said Maru.

"But today—"

"We're closed today! Sorry!"

"Sorry! Come back tomorrow!"

Maru shut the door, then high-fived Moro. The woman walked away thoroughly confused.

Dōmeki smiled at Watanuki.

"Thank you."


	9. for the sake of the fangirls: later

"What did I talk about, anyway? In my sleep."

"Lots of things, none of them wholesome. I'm surprised, Watanuki."

"Don't say it like that!" Watanuki exclaimed, blushing. Dōmeki smirked.


End file.
